Usually after endodontic treatment, a post needs to be placed inside the tooth to aid retention and stability for the crown that is to be
placed on top.

If more than half of a tooth's original crown portion (the part of the tooth normally visible above the gum line) has been lost, a post
is usually needed to assist with anchoring the core to the tooth. If more than half of the tooth's crown still remains, a core by itself will probably suffice, and the alternative of an inlay will
most likely be discussed to avoid removing any further tooth structure.

When placing a post and core:

We will first create a "post space." This space will generally lie within one of the root canals that was filled during endodontic
treatment.

A post, having specific dimensions matched to the post space that's been drilled, is then cemented or bonded into place.

Once the post has been secured, dental restorative is placed to create the core.

Once the core, or post and core, has been completed, a dental crown can be fabricated for the tooth and placed.

Traditionally, posts have been made out of metal (stainless steel, titanium, cast metal). In modern clinics, ceramic (zirconia) and
carbon-fibre posts are also available. In our practice, fibre-posts are the material of choice. The flexible nature of fibre-posts offers the advantage that as a tooth's root flexes under load this
type of post will too, thus helping to prevent root fracture by way of reducing the amount of stress directed to it. The white, translucent nature of fibre posts offers an aesthetic advantage
over metal ones. The dark, opaque nature of metal posts can affect the colour of dental crowns. This would be an especially important consideration for front teeth.

In some cases, we may discuss with you the option of having a cast post made by the laboratory.These are usually made of metal, and are
only used in certain circumstances where your dentist feels that a fibre-post is not an appropriate option.

After we have cemented the fibre post, we will build up the core of the tooth to be able to retain a crown. We will discuss with you the
various materials that can be used for the crown, these can be seen on our crown page of the website.